grains in another glass
by goneonelsewhere
Summary: Moments in another life. 'I love you'. Graduation. Marriage.
1. Chapter 1

They awoke to muttered curses and their right arm free to move about. Combined, those two notes drew a thread of fear through Blake, and they called out, voice low, urgent, "Weiss?"

"Here." A splash of white and moonshadow-blue resolved itself into their partner by the window, when they turned and blinked. "I didn't mean to wake you."

It was a proper apology, remorse clear. But Blake ignored it, focused on the waver present, throwing syllables against each other. Pushing themselves up as far as they could with Yang still sleeping on their other arm-in the end, craning their neck to see her worked best-Blake asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothi-"

 _"Weiss."_

Seconds ticked by carrying nothing but Yang's snoring, until Weiss sighed. "I… wasn't feeling myself, when I woke up. I wanted to…" Words ground to a halt, before she tried again. "I just needed space."

Meaning she had hoped it would pass without Blake or Yang ever getting a hint. Blake huffed, and dropped their head back against the bed. "I thought we promised no more hiding when we needed help?" It was pointed, but aiming to poke, not pierce. Blake knew their irritation with Weiss then was partly the hour, and the rest because of how alike they were in this. When it came to large emotional strain, they pulled in and bunkered down.

"You were sleeping," Weiss retorted, and in the room's quiet, Blake could hear her crossing her arms. "I wasn't going to wake any of you up when the gods know we all don't sleep enough."

"Well," a voice drawled, and both Weiss and Blake jerked in surprise, "Too late for that now." Swinging herself upright, Yang pulled errant locks down into something resembling tamed, before giving them both a sunny smile, light dimmed to a gentle glow by drowsiness. "Might as well talk."

Weiss made one last effort. "We have a mission in the morning-"

"-and trying to go back to sleep now would just mean we'd be even worse," was Yang's practical answer as she stretched one arm, then the other, pushing herself to wakefulness.

"We can nap on the ride out. Worse come to worst, we'll tap the coffee reserve," Blake added as they sat up, keeping an unrepentant face when Weiss' glare snapped to them. They pat the place beside them, and jerked their chin up. "Don't want to wake Ruby too, do you?"

With a soft "Hmph!" Weiss sat, at a point about the same distance from the two of them, forming a rough triangle on the bed. "Two against one is already unfair."

"Your stubbornness kinda warrants it," Yang chirped, tapping two knuckles against Weiss' knee before she settled back. Her eyes traced over the lines of Weiss' form, taking in the rigidity there, and softened. "Look, you don't have to tell us everything. Or anything, if you really don't want to-"

"But I do!" Weiss blurted, before repeating it in a voice more appropriate for the hour. "I do." Her fingers curled into tight fists on top of her knees; Blake knew rather than saw the resulting white knuckles, and laid their hand over it. Gave a gentle squeeze, when Weiss looked to them. Some of the tension riding on her shoulders fled, and Weiss muttered, "Of all people, I ought to be able to talk to my teammates."

"It's not something you need to beat yourself up for, though. I mean like, yeah, it's good for you to aim to change, but it being hard is expected." Yang jerked her thumb at Blake. "Look at this one."

They snorted. "Thanks, Yang. I feel so appreciated." A smile still adorned their face, in spite of their dry voice, and when they bat Yang's still-pointing hand away, it was no more than a flick. They turned their attention back to Weiss. "While she's being awfully _rude_ about it, she is right. Fixing a habit takes time, conscious choices."

But Weiss was not reassured. "And how am I supposed to tell, that I've improved at all?"

"'Cuz you're thinking and getting all worried about it. Duh." Yang met Weiss' surprised look with a shrug and an easy smile. "People who weren't learning-and weren't as serious about it as you-wouldn't."

Blake interjected, "And we'd tell you if you weren't."

For long seconds Weiss just stared, jaw moving up and down in a facsimile of speaking. And then she laughed. Low, short, but a laugh nonetheless. It sat well in their chests.

Long white strands fell from behind her ears, and were only pushed back into place when she looked at them again. "How do you two do that?" Wonderment shone soft in her eyes, beside the disbelief. "How do you know exactly what to say?"

"You ask all the easy questions," Blake teased, the line of their mouth curled, and they brushed their thumb over the back of Weiss' hand. "Because we know you."

Yang was more forward, tugging Weiss' other hand up and pressing a kiss against it, then answering the unspoken why. "Because we've got each other's backs."

Weiss laughed and Weiss sobbed, and in a thick voice Weiss whispered, "You're too good for me."

And before they could argue that, she pushed in-between them, arms coming around, over their shoulders, and whispered in that space, words that had them both blinking away surprise.

But her grip around them both was a few hairs too tight, and with only a look to each other, they laid back down on the bed, shifting to let Weiss lie on top of them, let her keep that contact. And they whispered the best response they had in that moment.

 _"We love you too."_


	2. Chapter 2

"Of course they wouldn't let us go without something like this." Weiss grumbled. She smacked the Dust into Myrtenaster with a too-loud clack.

Ruby's exuberance remained unaffected, and she swung her head over the edge of her bed. "C'mon, Weiss, it's not that bad. We get to go out with a bang, hey?"

Yang leapt on Weiss, echoing her sister with a wide grin. "Kapow!"

"Please don't do that in my ear." Nonetheless, Weiss was smiling now, and tossed Blake their magazine. "You won't have to worry about running out, for today… I suppose it might be relaxing. It'll be more a light dessert than anything, after the years we've had."

Blake laughed lowly. "You can say that again. Still, we should stay alert."

"Eh, a swim with aquatic Grimm, then maybe an angry Nevermore or two and their nest while we climb, no biggie." Rolling her shoulders forward, then back, Yang pecked Weiss' cheek. "The real fun times come after."

"Ah yes, a string of meetings to rework company policy, and every other sort of headache. The epitome of fun."

"Wasn't talking about that-" Weiss took on a crimson shade, "-but hey, if you want someone to break you out you only have to ask, princess."

A smile flickered across Weiss' face, and she leaned into Yang, her head coming to rest comfortably against Yang's shoulder. "Thank you, but I'd rather have your company in meetings in the long term than have you banned for a whim."

"Oh, I don't mean me. Much too easy to spot, and remember." Her voice took on a conspiratorial tone. "On the other hand, they wouldn't suspect one of their own."

Blake's eyebrow rose over the edge of the current novel, as they realised Yang's implication. "I don't recall volunteering."

Yang gasped, a hand coming up to her chest as she rocked back. "Blake! Are you saying you wouldn't help?"

"Uhmmm. Guys?" Ruby waved, drawing all eyes to her before Blake could respond, her amusement clear. "Not that I mind you getting all flirty or lovey-dovey or whatever you want to call what you're doing, but we should probably get going soon?"

Face reddening even more, Weiss snapped, "We're not flirting!"

"…I know said call it what you want but, you're bantering, which is like two or three steps from making out for you. It's practically the same." Weiss opened her mouth to protest, but Ruby grinned and cut her off with a raised finger. "Dad's waiting, I think your sis is with him too, and it'd be nice to at least say hello before we go meet the fishies. And everything else."

Her eyes were narrow, but Weiss' air remained relaxed, the corner of her mouth twitching upward as she reached and flicked Ruby's forehead. "If you wanted to go see Coco and Velvet, you could've just said so." Ruby spluttered, and Weiss laughed aloud before standing, and sliding Myrtenaster into its usual place at her side. "But you're right. Let's not keep them waiting."

* * *

Schnees were not prone to overt shows of affection. Never had been, what with their father, and Winter's years in the military only sharpened the sense of cold, untouchable steel. So when Winter saw Weiss and spread her arms, Weiss blinked first confusion, then surprise away, a moment's pause before moving closer to embrace her sister.

It was the low "Well done," murmured in her ear that brought Weiss' rising emotions to a peak, and had her blinking away tears.

Yang and Blake smiled, turned and walked away to give the two relative privacy in the crowd of people, if only for a few minutes. Ruby'd already been swept away by her girlfriends, and Tai had chosen to chat with them awhile. "Nice to see the snow queen's got some fire, too." Blake hummed silent agreement, eyeing the ship that would take them out to sea. The waters were calm, today. They wouldn't have to fight the weather. Yang kept on chatting. "You think she'll show up at the princess' castle often?"

"Princess' castle…? Oh, company headquarters. Maybe?" Blake shrugged. "Her work isn't any lighter. Why?"

"Just tryin' to figure out how often I should drop by, y'know."

"…You're making it a competition."

Yang pulled away from Blake, shock flitting across her face. "What? No! I-Okay, a little, but more _comparing_. I mean, I know I'm going to be busy but you two'll be even worse. So I want to see how things are gonna probably be like, and aim for a little extra." By the end, Yang's words were a mumble, her eyes averted, her hair pulled into a loose braid. "I know I'll probably see you in the morning and stuff, but… it's still going to be weird."

"I get it." Blake's hand slid against Yang's shoulder, and down, until they drew Yang's fingers between their own. A path they'd traced many times in their four years of working, fighting, living beside each other. "But we'll get through."

"Yeah." Her gaze was distant as she said it, but by degrees it came back, properly met Blake's own, and she smiled. "So. You ready, partner? One last run."

"One last time." Blake squeezed Yang's hand, and turned them toward the dock. "Let's go with a bang."


	3. Chapter 3

"Mm… I'm not sure we could let out enough for this one to work." Coco tugged the jacket off Blake, handing over another with the other hand. "Good to know you've been staying fit, I suppose."

"Of course. I can't afford to get rusty." Blake slid on the nth jacket of the afternoon, flattening it against their chest as well as they could before looking up at Coco. "Well?"

Coco walked a full circle around them before nodding, satisfaction clear as she came to a stop. "Perfect. We'll need to make minor adjustments-definitely the sleeves and the neck-but it'll do." Blake sighed in relief, earning a laugh from Coco. "Guess you won't want to taper the waist any?"

"Please."

"Alright. Now…" Pulling a rack over with a loud rattle, Coco grinned over the top of it, teeth flashing in a grin. "Time for the pants."

Blake groaned.

Over in the corner where Yang and Weiss sat, they chuckled quietly, before the former looked to the latter. "How did you ever get 'em to stay still for their work suits?"

"Do you _really_ want to know?" Her expression remained passive as she said it, but a mischievous spark gleamed in her eyes.

Yang didn't miss it, and coughed. "Okay, maybe not." Scratching her nose, Yang returned her gaze to the spectacle in front of them, embarrassment quickly giving way to delight as they watched the careful consideration of a few pairs of pants. Her legs jumped up and down. "We're gonna get _married._ "

"One would've thought the ring on your finger would have clued you in before this, Yang." Long fingers tugged gently at a stray blonde lock before brushing it behind her ear, and Weiss smiled, the joy quieter, but no less radiant.

Struck with the urge to keep it on the surface as long as possible, Yang turned and kissed her temple. "Don't rain on my parade. Let me enjoy the feeling."

"By all means, do so. But I'm also going to enjoy it… in my own way."

"Brattiest of all of us, I swear." Yang huffed before laying down another kiss.

"I will take that as a compliment," was Weiss' even reply. She didn't bother to hide her smirk, and instead returned Yang's favour against her jawline. "Besides, you don't mind it."

"Fair." While Weiss' jokes were often terrible-and that was before considering her puns-but she only made them when felt relaxed enough to do so. An okay trade-off, Yang thought. And she _was_ improving. Given time, it'd just be a win-win situation.

And they'd have the time.

"Sure," Blake grumbled, rousing Yang from her thoughts, "Just go ahead and kiss each other while I'm stuck over here. I don't mind."

"You _like_ to watch," they retorted, Weiss just a beat after Yang, before they looked to each other and fell into laughter.

Coco's shoulders shook too, even as they pat Blake's back. "Double-teamed. The surest sign of an incoming loss; better not argue."

"You're not helping by saying that."

"Oh, I know I'm not." Coco grinned again, before she jerked her head at the others. "You two, outside. At least until you've run it out of your system. The last thing I need is for things to start getting hot and heavy in the room where I'm working."

"Yes'm." Yang dragged the word out, snapping a loose salute as she stood. Then she swept Weiss up, one arm at her back and the other behind her knees, cackling when she yelped. "Runaway brides time!"

 _"Yang!_ Put me down!"

"Nope, sorry, no can do~" Slowing only in the doorway to keep from bashing Weiss' head against the frame, Yang scampered down the hall, Coco's guffaws following them to its end.

But rather than keep running, Yang slowed to a walk, the thumping of her feet on the carpet fading to occasional creaks. Her face took on a meditative cast. "I know we were joking, and it's really only a formality 'nd that, but… a few more weeks, and we're married. Who would've guessed, hey?"

"I don't think too many people think too hard about marriage when folk just start dating, Yang."

"No, I know, I just… I know we don't need the extra label, but. It's nice, the, that-"

"-the affirmation?"

"Yeah! Yeah." Sheepishness settled around Yang's eyes, while she laughed. "It's probably weird, when we've been around each other for literal years."

"…No." Weiss pulled her hand out from where it was pinned between her and Yang's body, reaching to cup Yang's cheek. She stiffened in surprise at the touch, and came to a halt. "It's fair, dear."

And Weiss closed her eyes and leaned fully into Yang.

"We're with you always."


End file.
